Folding bed



Jan. 3, 1967 Filed D60. 28, 1964 FIG.|.

w. J'. HALL 3,295,149

l Qd Jan. 3, 1967 w, J, HALL 3,295,149

FOLDING BED Filed new. 28, 1964 2 sheets-sheet 2 Fles United States Patent O 3,295,149 FOLDING BED William Joseph Hall, London, England, assigner to W. Steel & Company Limited Filed Dec. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 421,252 Claims priority, application Great Britain, dan. 2, 1964, 270/64; Jan. 28, 1964, 3,527/64 8 Claims. (Cl. 5-174) The present invention relates to folding beds and broadly has for its object the provision of a folding bed which, in a folded position can be stored in a comparatively confined space, which is self-suppo1ting and which, when in the extended position, provides a firm and stable sleeping surface. lt is a particular object to provide a bed which can be stored in a space low in height.

In U.K. pa-tent application No. 45,735/61 there is described a folding bed including a frame assembly having a central hinge section and a pair of outer sections one on either side of the central section and hinged thereto, the assembly being supported upon leg members which are pivoted to the outer sections, the arrangement being such that a pair of said leg members, one on each side of the central section, serve to support the folded bed as well as the bed when extended to provide a sleeping surface.

It is an object of the invention to provide a modification and improvement of the supporting means provided in the above-mentioned bed. Further, it is an object of the invention to provide such a bed which is of robust construction and which can readily be folded or assembled for use.

The present invention consists of a bed comprising a frame assembly, the assembly having a central section and a pair of outer sections one on either side of the central section and hinged thereto, leg means pivoted to the central and outer sections, and means arranged to pivot the central section leg means, on folding of the assembly, to a position clear of a surface on which the bed is supported.

More specifically the means for pivoting the central section leg means comprise a pivotal linkage.

Additionally the present invention comprises a bed wherein the linkage ensures that when the bed is in an open position the leg means pivoted to the central section are located wholly within that area of the supporting surface which lies beneath the central section.

Preferably the linkage comprises rods pivotally connected at their ends to the leg means or members pivoted to the outer sections and to the central section.

Preferably one leg is pivoted to each outer section and two leg means or members are pivoted to the central section, one to each side of the centre thereof, the spacing of the leg means or members being such as to make the bed bilaterally symmetrical.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings copy of which:

FIGURE l is a side elevation of a folding bed according to the present invention, the bed being shown in the extended position;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the said bed in its folded position, and

FIGURE 3 is a further view of the bed according to the invention.

A folding bed according to the invention comprises a frame assembly formed by a central section 1 and two outer sections 2 and 3 each hinged to one side of the central section 1 at a point 7 near the top thereof. Said outer sections are each formed from substantially a U- shaped tubular metal frame and a pair of substantially U-shaped tubular metal inner leg members 8 are pivoted ICC towards the lower edge of the central section, one leg member being pivoted at a point 14 to each side thereof. Each inner member 8 is linked to its adjacent outer section (2 or 3) by an inner linking rod 12 pivoted to the inner leg member at a point 20 a short distance from the point 14 at which it is pivoted to the central section. The inner linking rod 12 is also pivoted to the adjacent outer section at point 30, the distance from the pivot point 30 on the adjacent outer section to the pivot point 20 being greater than the distance from ythe pivot point 20 on the leg member to its pivot point 14 with the central section.

The shape of the central section, the relative dimensions of the parts and the distances between the pivot points are such that when the bed is in its folded or closed position the inner leg members lie substantially perpendicular to the central section and substantially parallel to the outer sec-tions. Similarly when the bed is moved into its extended or open position by a pushing apart of the outer ends of the outer sections so that the three sections form a flat reclining surface, the inner leg mem* bers are turned through an angle of more than about their pivot points on the central members by the inner linking rods 12, and during the latter part of their travel, press against the oor or other supporting surface thereby raising the central section with respect to said floor or supporting surface and coming to rest in such a position that the distance between the floor engaging surfaces of the leg members is less than the distance between their points of pivot. In this way when the bed is in the open position the inner leg members lie wholly beneath the central section and therefore wholly between .the central section and the floor or other supporting surface. In the specific embodiment illustrated the inner leg members are in a position past dead-centre, their free extremities being closer together than their pivoted ends.

If desired the arrangement of the linkage may be such that the floor-engaging surfaces of the legs 8 abut against each other when the bed is in an open position.

Pivoted, at a pivot point 10, towards the outer end of each outer section (2, 3) is an outer leg member 9 linked to the central section by an outer linking rod 11 pivoted at one end to point 40 on the outer leg member 9 and at the other end of the central section 1. The latter pivot point is at or close to, the pivot point 14 where the central section is pivoted to the adjacent inner leg member 8. In the accompanying drawings the point 14 is common to the central section, the adjacent inner leg member and the outer linking rod.

A bed head and foot may be provided, said bed head or foot being pivoted or fixed at or near the outer ends of the outer sections. Castors 45 or the like are provided on the surfaces of the central section designed to contact the floor or other supporting surface. Similarly, castors or the like may be provided on any leg members intended to otherwise engage the floor or other supporting surface, or on extensions of one or more of the linkage rods thereby to facilitate movement of the bed or parts thereof.

In use the bed is opened from the closed position by a single movement, said movement involving the pushing apart :of the outer ends of the two outer sections 2 and 3. The sections 2 and 3 are strung with a spring mattress frame which mattress is in a state of compression when the bed is in a closed state. Such compression tends to assist opening of the bed when catch means 50a and Sllb are released. Sandwiching of a foam or similar mattress is the cavity formed between the members 2 and 3 when the bed is in the closed position also tends to assist opening of the bed, such opening is further assisted by the weight of the outer ends of the mattress enclosed within the folded assembly.

It will be appreciated that the arrangement of the present invention whereby, when the bed is in the open position the inner leg members are angled in opposition to the outer leg members and the inner leg members are consequently located wholly between the central section and the floor or other supporting surface, ensures that the result of any downward force on the area of the central section is to cause the application of a similar downward force on the outer sections via the inner linking rods 12. It is also to be appreciated that the fact that the closed bed rests on the central section rather than on legs results in the bed in such a state being of compact size especially with regard to height.

What I claim is:

1. A folding bed comprising a central frame section;

a pair of outer frame sections; means pivoting the outer frame sections one on each of opposed sides of the central section; a pair of inner leg means; means pivoting each of the inner leg means to the central section; a pair of outer leg means; means pivoting each of the outer leg means to a respective outer frame section; and linkage means extending between the leg means and the frame sections, the linkage means being adapted to maintain the inner leg means with the free ends thereof closer together than their pivoted ends, and the outer leg means with the pivoted ends thereof closer together than their free ends in the unfolded position of the bed.

2. A folding bed according to claim 1 wherein the leg means and the linkage means lie wholly beneath the upper surface of the frame sections in the unfolded position of the bed.

3. A folding bed according to claim 1 wherein the linkage means includes on each side of the bed' a link pivoted at one end to the central section at a position below and outwardly of the means pivoting the outer section at that 35 and outwardly of the means pivoting the leg means to the outer section. i -v 4. A folding bed according to claim 3 wherein the link means and the outer frame sections lie substantially parallel in the unfolded position of the bed.

5. A folding bed according to claim 3 wherein the link means and the inner leg means at each side are pivoted to the central frame section at a common axis.

6. A folding bed as claimed in claim 1 wherein the linkage means includes on each side of the bed a link pivoted at one end to the outer frame section at that side at a position intermediate the means pivoting the outer leg means to the outer section and' the means pivoting the outer section to the central section, said link being pivoted at the other end to the inner leg means at that side intermediate its ends.

7. A folding bed according to claim 1 wherein the linkage means on each side of the bed comprising a rst link extending between the central section and the outer leg means, and a second link extending between the inner leg means and the outer frame section.

8. A folding bed according to claim 1 wherein the linkage means is adapted to pivot the inner leg means during folding of the bed to a position clear of a surface supporting the bed.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 79,582 1l/l962 France. 1,191,726 4/1959 France.

687,394 2/ 1953 Great Britain. 515,024 2/1955 Italy.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

R. D. KRAUS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FOLDING BED COMPRISING A CENTRAL FRAME SECTION; A PAIR OF OUTER FRAME SECTIONS; MEANS PIVOTING THE OUTER FRAME SECTIONS ONE ON EACH OF OPPOSED SIDES OF THE CENTRAL SECTION; A PAIR OF INNER LEG MEANS; MEANS PIVOTING EACH OF THE INNER LEG MEANS TO THE CENTRAL SECTION; A PAIR OF OUTER LEG MEANS; MEANS PIVOTING EACH OF THE OUTER LEG MEANS TO A RESPECTIVE OUTER FRAME SECTION; AND LINKAGE MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN THE LEG MEANS AND THE FRAME SECTIONS, THE LINKAGE MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO MAINTAIN THE INNER LEG MEANS WITH THE FREE ENDS THEREOF CLOSER TOGETHER THAN THEIR PIVOTED ENDS, AND THE OUTER LEG MEANS WITH THE PIVOTED ENDS THEREOF CLOSER TOGETHER THAN THEIR FREE ENDS IN THE UNFOLDED POSITION OF THE BED. 